145. Drug Abuse

Colorado Medical Society supports the establishment of a pilot supervised injection facility that will be objectively evaluated to assess effects on those that are addicted to injectable drugs, local communities and society at large as part of a comprehensive strategy to combat the effects of the opioid abuse crisis in Colorado.

145.994 Public Health and Safety Challenges of Treating Chronic Pain: The Medical Perspective

The Colorado Medical Society Workers’ Compensation and Personal Injury Committee (WCPIC) were asked by the board to review current CMS policy on prescription drug abuse and make strategic recommendations for moving forward. WCPIC created the platform “Public Health and Safety Challenges of Treating Chronic Pain: The Medical Perspective,” which encompasses 31 recommendations. It was presented to and passed by the CMS House of Delegates at the 2013 Annual Meeting in September.

The platform focuses on five planks: the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP), licensing boards standardization, physician education, law enforcement, and prescription drug abuse as a public health issue. Click here to view the 31 recommendations.

145.995 Recreational Marijuana

CMS does not have an opinion on the criminality of recreational marijuana use. CMS recognizes the published scientific data that recreational use of marijuana has a deleterious effect on the health of individuals and public health, particularly on the developing brains of adolescents.
(RES 6-P-AM’11, AM 2012; Reaffirmed, BOD-1, AM 2014)

145.996 Physician Leadership on National Drug Policy

The Colorado Medical Society (CMS) adopts and supports the consensus statement on “Physician Leadership on National Drug Policy.” The CMS supports the continual review of evidence to identify and recommend medical and public health approaches that are likely to be more cost-effective, in both human and economic terms. The CMS encourages professional organizations to endorse and implement these policies.

145.997 Drug Abuse and Drug Testing in Youth Athletics

The Colorado Medical Society (CMS) supports educational activities at the elementary school through high school level on drug abuse in athletes; the CMS supports drug testing for anabolic steroids of middle school and high school athletes in competitive sports.
(RES-39, AM 1989; Reaffirmed, BOD-1, AM 2014)

145.998 Use of Anabolic Steroids

The Colorado Medical Society (CMS) considers the prescription, recommendation, or use of anabolic steroids for the purpose of the hormonal manipulation of athletes that is intended as a performance aid for athletes to increase muscle mass, strength, or weight manipulation without a medical necessity to do so to be unethical and reason for immediate action by the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs of the CMS and prompt reporting to the Colorado Medical Board.